Ceres bus. (Facebook Photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The management of Ceres Liner, a bus transit company operating mostly in the Negros provinces, has disputed claims that trips were canceled, saying that diverting bus trips and leaving other routes behind is against government policy.
Vallacar Transit Inc. said that the management cannot cater to the demands of a certain group as other routes would suffer, which is against the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) policy.
“Vallacar Transit Inc. would like to inform our beloved riding public that we have no stoppage of trips nor cancellation of our operations in any part of Northern Negros,” the company said in a statement received by INQUIRER.net on Friday.
“This is contrary to the statement maliciously spread in the social media […] We cannot cater to the whims of groups that would leave our routes in a vacuum. This is against LTFRB’s policy,” it added.
Vallacar Transit vowed that it remains committed to providing people safe travel, but explained that the bus line is currently operating on a limited fleet due to health restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are here to serve the riding public with utmost safety and comfort even during the COVID-19 pandemic and there is no reason for us now to cancel our trips that the travel restrictions have lowered,” it said.
“We are operating with a limited number of units due to the health restrictions but in spite of this, we are trying our best that no passenger gets left behind. We are appealing to the riding public to be wary and not believe everything they read on social media,” it noted.
Vallacar representatives did not mention which group was spreading claims about bus trips being canceled, but supporters of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo have complained of Ceres bus being unavailable to ferry them from parts of Negros island to Bacolod City in Negros Occidental, where the grand rally would be held.
Robredo’s supporters claimed that Ceres owners — the Yanson family — are supporters of a different candidate, hence the decision to restrict bus trips during the scheduled grand rally.
Several photos on social media have shown Negros residents walking stretches just to reach Bacolod. As of 7 p.m., event organizers said that the grand rally attracted over 70,000 individuals — the biggest thus far in Robredo’s sorties.
READ: Bacolod in Negros Occidental draws biggest crowd ever for Robredo